First, the truth about a denial
When the carrier says no — or pays less than the scope you believed in — it is almost never the end of the claim. It is usually a list of missing line items and missing justification. The adjuster's scope is the carrier's starting number. The supplement is where the claim reaches what the work actually costs.
This guide is the three-part structure that works, with the codes adjusters most often leave off a roof scope.
The items adjusters miss most — from 547 real claims
ESXPress processes real carrier scopes and real claims. Across the 547 insurance claims in the conversion archive, these Xactimate line items appear most often when a roof is in scope. When the work exists on the roof and the code is absent, that is a supplement — not a bonus.
- RFG|DRIP — drip edge — present in 366 of 547 claims (67%)
- RFG|ASTR- — asphalt starter — 344 of 547 (63%)
- RFG|FLPIPE — pipe flashing — 334 of 547 (61%)
- RFG|IWS — ice & water shield — 294 of 547 (54%)
- RFG|FELT15 — felt/underlayment — 272 of 547 (50%)
- RFG|VENTT — vents — 264 of 547 (48%)
- SFG|GUTA — gutter — 186 of 547 (34%)
- RFG|STEEP — steep-slope charge — 161 of 547 (29%)
Code clarity matters here: RFG|DRIP is a distinct Xactimate SEL code and a separate line item from the shingle line. A claim that pays all shingles and no drip edge is underpaid on real code, not on opinion.
The three-part appeal structure
Every successful supplement does the same three things. Checklist it before you submit.
1. The line item — with its real code
No code, no pay. The line is "drip edge on the re-roof", not "extra edge flashing". The Xactimate code (like RFG|DRIP for drip edge) is what makes it a line an adjuster can approve without a phone call.
2. The reason it is owed — with a citation
The item is owed because the work is required and standard. Cite the source: IRC Chapter 9 assemblies for roofing requirements, IICRC for water damage, or the manufacturer's specification when it applies. The completeness rules ESXPress checks every scope against carry these citations on every suggestion, so you can copy the citation, not invent one.
3. The proof — photographs and invoices
Photographs of the missing condition, the material invoice if you have it, and the bill from the trade that did the work. Three photos of a roof with no drip edge beats a paragraph of argument every time.
One thing most contractors forget: O&P
When a scope crosses trades — roofing plus gutters plus cladding plus paint — it often qualifies for overhead & profit (the standard 10% + 10%). Carriers do not volunteer it. You list it, and you say why: a multi-trade scope. The Completeness Advisor flags this case automatically; it is a common, real, and legitimate supplement line.
The review discipline that keeps supplements approved
Supplementing is not inflating. The mistake that gets claims reopened for audit is adding items the work does not justify. The discipline that works: every added line exists in the claim, is coded correctly, is priced from a real source, and carries a reason. Nothing auto-adds — you approve each line. ESXPress is built that way on purpose: suggestion-only, code-verified, cited.
Where to go from here
If your claim was denied or underpaid, export a real supplement from the scope you have. The free plan converts a carrier scope PDF into an import-ready Xactimate ESX file, and the Completeness Advisor checks it against the building and supplemental rules before it ships.
For the codes themselves — drip edge, ice & water shield, step flashing, detach & reset, and the rest — the free Xactimate code lookup covers all 18,054 SEL codes with their units and real usage data.